BubbleStream

Rodney Page

The Xerces Factor

Synopsis

Author Charles Arrington was taken off sedation and told about the explosion. He instinctively knew the motive for the attack. It didn’t make sense, but it was the book, the damn book.
The first draft of The Thieves in the Pentagon…Corruption that Threatens Our National Security was far from complete. Arrington had no proof, just unsubstantiated rumors and conjecture...a lot of unconnected dots. He planned to abandon the project…then the bomb killed his wife and maimed him for life.
The Xerces anti-missile system was the country’s most powerful deterrent in an increasingly hostile world. However, the president had his own radical plans for the system’s deployment. No one could be allowed to obstruct his naïve quest for world peace.
But the president and his loyal minions were not alone. Others had keen interest in Arrington’s book…some to satiate their personal greed, others for far more sinister purposes.

Author Biography

A Georgia native, Rodney’s business career included a variety of senior management positions and consulting engagements in companies and industries ranging from startups to Fortune 50 firms.
A graduate of the Grady College of Journalism at the University of Georgia, in 2005 Rodney authored Leading Your Business to the Next Level…the Six Core Disciplines of Sustained Profitable Growth, a hands-on guide for companies navigating the perils and pitfalls of a high growth environment.
An avid student of history and political junky, Rodney combined those interests with his lifelong desire to write a novel. His first, Powers Not Delegated, was published in 2012
Rodney’s second novel, The Xerces Factor, was released in April. He meshes his knowledge of history and current events to pen a relevant and plausible tale of intrigue inside the Beltway.
His short story, Granny Mae’s Journey, appeared in the Crimson Cloak anthology, Steps in Time, this spring.
Rodney lives in Hendersonville, North Carolina. His passions include hiking, photography, R&B guitar, history, reading, and, of course, University of Georgia football.

Author Insight

Brushing his teeth with one arm is one thing; tyin

Two months after the explosion, investigative journalist Charles Arrington struggles with the loss of an eye and arm. Just getting ready to start the day poses confounding challenges.

Book Excerpt

The Xerces Factor

Charles went to the bathroom and began his morning routine. The shower wasn’t too difficult, but he had yet to master the art of flossing. And targeting a squeeze of toothpaste from the tube onto a toothbrush balanced precariously on the edge of the sink was damn near impossible.

He looked in the mirror. Cassandra’s culinary skills had done little to improve his appetite, and his weight hovered around 175 pounds. His six-foot-three frame was gaunt, and his face sallow. He’d lost muscle mass and wondered how much his right arm had weighed.

On good days the black eye-patch seemed rather natty; on bad ones he feared it brought attention to his disfigurement. Not pleased with the reconstructive plastic surgery on his cheekbone, he grew a beard. At least he didn’t have to learn how to shave left-handed.

It took him an hour to dress. His one-handed tactile skills were not yet sufficiently developed for him to button the heavily-starched oxford cloth shirt collars, but he rather awkwardly managed to pull a polo shirt and cotton sweater over his head.

Buttoning his chino trousers proved too much of a challenge so Charles substituted dress slacks with a metal clasp. He put on his socks with one hand, but it was a pain in the ass. Loafers didn’t require an attempt at the impossible…one-handed shoelace tying.